This vacation has something for people of all ages, whether they’re history buffs, shoppers or sun-worshippers. And it’s less than an eight-hour drive from Long Island. We’re talking Colonial Williamsburg, an absolute American treasure, and Virginia Beach, which is about 45 miles away from Williamsburg.
Price wise, the hotels in and around Williamsburg are well-maintained and incredibly affordable. Virginia Beach has plenty of options for nearly any price range. And for theme-park enthusiasts, the famed Busch Gardens is just four miles from the heart of the colonial-era attractions. So book those hotels, pack up the station wagon and let Greater Long Island be your guide. We won’t steer you wrong.
The travel
Car is best. Long Islanders already know how to navigate through New York City traffic, but our advice if you’re heading out on a weekday is to leave around 9:30 a.m. so you could reach the bridges after the morning rush, but before all the roadwork gets going. We left on a weekend in August so we headed out at 6:30 a.m. to avoid the summer travel traffic.
From the NYC bridges, you’ll soon be driving through the length of New Jersey. If you’re headed to Virginia Beach for the first leg of the trip, you’ll be taken through Delaware, a bit of Maryland and into the pastoral and charming eastern shores of Virginia. (If you’re wondering what those leafy green crops are, they’re peanuts! We looked it up.)
This route is gorgeous and a welcome break from interstate travel.
From there it’s a pretty drive over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and you’ll soon find yourself in Virginia Beach.
However, if you’re headed to Williamsburg first, your GPS will likely take you through Washington D.C. and over the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. Look to the north while crossing the bridge to see the Washington Monument.
Now —we cannot stress this enough — once you get over the bridge, turn off the GPS and follow the signs for the Express Lanes on I-95 headed south. If you do not turn off the GPS, it will repeatedly tell you to get off because it doesn’t understand how Virginia express lanes work. Do not get off! Because if you find yourself in the local lanes you will add 30 minutes to an hour (or more) onto your trip due to traffic.
Take the Express Lanes their full length toward Richmond, Va. When they end, turn the GPS back on.
Now you’re less than two hours away from Williamsburg.
Lodging in Williamsburg
This entire city is impeccably doted over and cared for, and that includes the hotels. If you’re sick of the high prices of nice hotels as of late, just do a quick search for the hotel pricing in Williamsburg and you will be pleasantly surprised.
And because it’s all so affordable, we were able to book a premium one.
Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection
The Williamsburg Lodge is an absolute delight. The campus is sprawling and is in keeping with the 18th century style of the area. (Click here for a photo gallery.) The best part is that the main attractions of Colonial Williamsburg are just a short stroll away.
You’re not too deep in the South in this part of the country, but the friendly service here rivals that of Savannah, Ga., famous for its Southern hospitality.
The hotel has two restaurants, a coffee bar and three pools. There’s an adults-only tranquility pool, a family friendly pool and an indoor pool and hot tub, all adjacent to the renowned Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, which has practice facilities.
Pro Tip: Book the Williamsburg Lodge through AAA and get two free multi-day passes to all the Colonial Williamsburg attractions, a $120 value, for free. Multi-day passes for kids 6 to 12 cost $33.99 or $21.74 for a single-day pass.
The Lodge’s Sweet Tea & Barley restaurant is outstanding and we were treated to a jazz trio on a Saturday night. But there are many restaurants within walking distance to the hotel campus. The culinary highlight of our entire trip was dinner at The King’s Arms Tavern in the neighboring Williamsburg Inn, just a short stroll away from the Lodge.
Attractions
Learning about 18th century arms at the gunsmith shop on York Street in Colonial Williamsburg. (Credit: Michael White)
If you didn’t get them free at the hotel, you could order your Colonial Williamsburg tickets online at a discount. Since this is a working city, strolling around is free. But if you want to hear a lecture, take a tour of the Governor’s Palace or Capital building, or enter the blacksmith, silversmith, gunsmith or wig-makers shops, to name a few, you’ll need your tickets.
Below is a parking map for in and around the Colonial attractions, along with a link to the program guide. If you have children, our advice is to make sure they sign up for the Continental Army, which happens mostly every day, weather permitting.
You’ll notice how close it all is to the Williamsburg Lodge.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MAP & PROGRAM GUIDE
Give yourselves two days in Colonial Williamsburg. Or at least one full day and then spend more time there the next morning, after checkout, until the early afternoon before heading to Virginia Beach, about an hour away.
For the shoppers, definitely visit Colonial Square for souvenirs, sweets and boutique shopping. There are even big-brand stores like Lululemon and lots of food options such as burgers, tacos and pizza. But for that real Colonial-era experience, absolutely dine at one of the 18th-century restaurants along Duke of Gloucester Street.
There’s also a bus that loops around the entire area, with a new one pulling up every 15 minutes.
The Capitol building at Colonial Williamsburg.
Busch Gardens
Photo credit: Busch Gardens Williamsburg on Facebook
For our theme park lovers, Busch Gardens is a five-minute drive from the Colonial-era attractions. However we didn’t go as a cost-saving measure. But you can click the link above to find out everything to know, including pricing, to bring the family.
Virginia Beach
Photo credit: Visit Virginia Beach on Facebook
If you’ve never been to the main drag at Virginia Beach, it is massive. It’s larger than Ocean City, Md., and generally speaking, less expensive than Ocean City — and way less expensive than trying to book a hotel on Long Island.
But first, getting there. It’s basically a straight shot from Williamsburg, but give yourself a little more than an hour. We were warned by the concierge at Williamsburg Lodge that there are accidents near daily en route to the tunnel that brings you to Virginia Beach, which bogs down traffic. And she was absolutely right! Due to an accident it took us about 90 minutes.
But once you’re there, parking is plentiful and goes for about $20 a day in the garages and private lots. You could also rent little cabanas and beach chairs along the beach, however if a storm rolls in they will shut that down and offer no refunds. So keep an eye on the weather.
The boardwalk, which is concrete, stretches the full length of the strip with plenty of dining and drinking options at most of the hotels that are open to the public. There’s also a small amusement park in the heart of the strip, and the place is as pretty at nighttime as it is during the day.
We’re a little spoiled on Long Island with our white powder beaches. The sand here is more orange in color, and a bit courser. But, in summer, you’re almost guaranteed to see pods of dolphins delighting beachgoers off the coast, typically in the morning and early afternoon.
Between the seafood stops, we dined at Il Giordano Ristorante, which somewhat fooled us from the outside as the inside is expansive and beautiful. The service was great, and you might say the Italian food rivals that of any top out-of-state establishment.
To save a good deal of money, we stayed about 12 minutes north of the main strip at the Delta Hotels Virginia Beach Marriott. It had a great restaurant called Tides Coastal Kitchen that offered both indoor and outdoor dining with direct access to the family pool and bay beach.
If you have small kids, like us, the bay beach was a great spot for them to play without worry.
Featured photo credit: Colonial Williamsburg Resorts on Facebook
